230 



THE CROWNED PIGEON. 



drawi] it, she found its craw stuffed with a collection of the ten 



der tops of turnips. Hence we may 

 see that granivorous b : rds, when their 

 usual kinds of subsistence fail, can 

 feed on the leaves of vegetables. There 

 is indeed reason to suppose that they, 

 would not long be healthy without 

 these substances; for Turkeys, though 

 corn-fed, delight in a great variety of 

 plants, such as ca ! bage, lettuce, and 

 endive; poultry pick much grass; and 

 Geese live for months together on commons, by grazing only. 



Attempts have frequently been made to domesticate these birds, by 

 hatching their eggs in dove-houses, under the common Pigeon; but 

 as soon as the young-ones were able to fly, they always escaped to 

 their proper haunts. Mr. Montagu was at considerable pains in 

 experiments of this nature; and though he so far tamed them within 

 doors as to have them become exceedingly troublesome, yet he never 

 could produce a breed, either by themselves or with the tame Pigeon. 

 Two that were brought up with a male Pigeon, were rendered so 

 tame that they would eat out of the hand; but as they showed no 

 signs of breed, ng in the spring, they were suffered to fly away, by the 

 window of the room in which they were confined being left open. It 

 was sitppo&ed that, the Pigeon might induce them to return to their 

 usual place of abode, either for food or to roost; but from that moment 

 they assumed their natural habits, and nothing more was seen of them, 

 although the Pigeon remained. This gentleman bred up a curious as- 

 semblage of birds, which lived together in perfect amity: it consisted 

 of a common Pigeon, a King-dove, a White-owl, and a Sparrow-hawk; 

 and the King-dove was master of the whole. 



THE CBOWNED PIGEON". 



This bird is about the size of a common Turkey. Its head is 

 adorned, with a most superb circular crest 

 of feathers, standing erect and composed of 

 loose, unconnected webs, of a fine bluish 

 ash-color. The eyes are lodged in a shut- 

 tle-shaped bnnd of black. The lesser 

 coverts of the wings, and the upper part of 

 the back, are of a dark reddish purple 

 the first greater coverts are white, edged 

 with red ; and all the rest of the plumage 

 is of the same color as the crest. 



The wings of the Crowned Pigeon are 

 armed each with a horny excrescence, 

 with which they are able to strike a severe 

 blow. These birds are easily rendered 

 tame J an d> i n tne East Indies, they are kepi 



